Where Islam spreads, freedom dies

The government of Morocco has demanded half of the Alhambra in Granada, Spain. The Alhambra is a palace that was built during the period of Muslim rule in Spain. In a letter to the government of Spain and the council of Andalucia, Morocco's culture minister, Bensalem Himmich, demands that a joint Moroccan-Spanish organisation be set up to manage the Alhambra and that the Moroccan government receive half of the profits accruing from the tourist trade related to it. The Alhambra receives more than 3 million visitors each year.

Himmich claims that Moroccan experts in "Andalucian architecture" would be able to help with the conservation of the palace. He also believes Moroccan participation would do justice to those who created the Alhambra and would "open bridges of cooperation and friendship between our two countries".

The minister insists that Boabdil, the last Muslim king of Granada, would approve of Morocco's involvement, claiming that Boabdil spent his final years in Morocco and that his descendants were Moroccans.

Many Moroccans believe that the ancient monuments of Muslim-ruled Spain rightfully belong to them and that they should either receive ownership of them or appropriate compensation.

Since 2003 the Alhambra's management board has included a representative from the Moroccan government but the latest proposal would go much further.

UPDATE: The Moroccan embassy in Spain has denied that this story is true. It issued a statement saying, "After consulting with the ministry, we have no information that would confirm these statements." The story apparently spread like wildfire around the internet. The Spanish-language news article that reports this denial can be found here. Thanks to Anonymous for posting the link.